At the turn of the 21st Century (between the years 2000-2004), I believe Jesus spoke to me about His Church in Britain…(This word can also apply to the Church in the West)
This is the word (please weigh)…
‘In the 1990’s God raised up “Barn Churches”
These ‘resource’ churches (megachurches and city-churches) typically meet in warehouses, schools, hotels and large conference centres or became the main city-centre based churches. They often applied ‘church growth’ theory and have been used by God mightily to renew, refresh and restore His Church.
God likened the process of “Raising up Barn Churches” to the story of Joseph and the people of Israel…
When there was a great famine in the land where Gods people dwelt, God sent Joseph ahead to Egypt where there was plenty of food (a great harvest) to prepare a place for the rest of his family who were still experiencing famine/hunger.
Through dreams, God gave Joseph and the ruler of Egypt (Pharaoh) a strategy to raise up ‘barns’ throughout Egypt to store the abundant grain during the fruitful years in anticipation that many experiencing famine in the years ahead would come to the barns to buy grain! (“Build it and they will come”)
These Barns became a Blessing for those in Famine
So all the people of God left their respective areas of famine and moved to Egypt where the barns were located and as a result were refreshed as they lived in Goshen (a place of comfort and safety)
Prior to the ‘Barn Churches’ being raised up, many Christians who had grown up in Christian families had been in churches laden with tradition, old fashioned, dying and lacked resources and so on
In contrast the ‘Barn Churches’ were full of life, resources (the grain), lively worship bands, fresh coffee, large children’s ministries and so on (everything you could want in a church!)
Just like the barns of Egypt, these churches overflowed with resources to feed Christians hungry for ‘life’ after being in famine (dead churches/resource-less churches) for so long!
I believe Gods purpose in raising up the Barn Churches was to refresh Gods people and to ‘Equip the Saints’ and all the ‘burnt-out leaders’ they attracted in order to ‘do the work of ministry’ and then further to ‘do the work of mission’.
The people were to be Gathered in order to be Scattered into every nook and crevice of society as Salt+Light in the world
However, just like the story of Joseph and his descendants- Pharoahs (empire rulers) rose up that didn’t know about Joseph and God’s Dream (purpose) for Barns…These Pharoahs became hard-hearted…espeacially as they began to see God’s people reproducing (multiplying).
They were afraid of losing control…So generations later, God raised up Moses to say to Pharoah; ‘Let My People Go To Worship Me In The Desert’…
But Pharoah thought he, not God, was in charge of the people of God and refused to equip and release the people…So God allowed the plagues…
Surely now is the time for God’s people here in the West, who have for at least a generation dwelt in safety and comfort to experience The Desert, for it is there that we find our true identity as the people of God! And we cannot enter The Promise Land without passing through the Desert…
If we do not hear the prophets who have been prophesying this for 20 years…then we may hear the Saul’s, Stalin’s, Mao’s or Plagues that ‘force’ us to leave Egypt under cover of night…
‘Let My People Go To Worship in the Desert!’
If this Prophetic Word resonates with you, or you have heard similar words, please do get in touch and leave a comment…
You may be interested in these other prophetic words concerning The Church in Britain and the West at this time…
God is shaking his church
God is shaking his church
Interesting to see this in the light of events surrounding vineyard and aneheim this last few weeks.
Will we see a Moses and a Pharaoh spirit emerge in that situation?
Or has ‘Moses’ already spoken to ‘Pharoah’ in this situation leading to what has actually happened here?
Very thought provoking essay